Mind Over Body Doesn’t Work.
Romans 12:1–2, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”
An interesting article about “mind over matter” says that your body actually responds to a certain physical reality when you simply believe that your body can do it. When people say your brain is the strongest muscle in your body, they are not kidding!
Body, in general, has been getting a bad rap. We praise mind way more than it actually deserves and we treat body way worse than it actually deserves. But, I find that body is very faithful to a regimen of discipline once the body gets used to it.
For example, waking up at 5AM is hard for the first few days. But, once your body gets in the rhythm of sleeping and waking up at the same hour, your body will stick to that habit without much effort. Forming a habit is all the work. But once the habit is formed, your body doesn’t have to use a lot of energy to do what it’s accustomed to do.
On the other hand, mind is a stubborn muscle. It is conscious and smart. Therefore, it’s also very good at coming up with excuses. Since the mind is smart, its excuses are convincing and logical!
“You slept late last night. Just hit the snooze button for catch a few more blinks.”
“You need your sleep now if you don’t want to be groggy in the morning.”
“Hey, I’m the brain here! Listen to me and just go to sleep!”
Don’t trust your mind. Your mind will come up with a plot to derail your streak. Renew your mind. Work your body. Be consistent and trust the system you have set up for your body.
Design a habit that you will benefit the most. Then, commit your body to it. Don’t listen to your mind until your system is set.
